Tenants' rights counselor Joe Praml leans on the roof of a car, scribbling last-minute notes to a young couple facing eviction. It's 11 p.m. on a Wednesday night in the parking lot outside the West Hollywood Community Center in Plummer Park. Praml is among a crew of lawyers and counselors who volunteer their time at the Tenants' Rights Clinic, which operates out of the center on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Sponsored by theCoalition for Economic Survival (CES), the clinic's services are a lifeline for those who earn too much to qualify for Legal Aid but who lack the money to hire an attorney. Counselors dispense advice, write letters, organize evidence, and tell people how to settle out of court, as well as what to do once they get there - in short, everything except actual court representation. A donation of $15 is requested to defray expenses, but help is free of charge to anyone who does not have the funds. Since it began 15 years ago, the clinic has served as a model for similar agencies, with people coming from as far away as Bakersfield and Santa Ana for assistance. CES executive director Larry Gross says the need is so great because most tenants don't know their rights. "When they receive an eviction notice, either they think it's legal or they ignore it." Statistics on illegal evictions are hard to point to - who knows how many tenants have simply packed their bags? One thing seems clear: The plight of renters has steadily worsened as the local housing shortage has grown more acute, and powerful lobbies work on behalf of greedy landlords. -Deborah Klugman